2017, Number 2
Rev Invest Clin 2017; 69 (2)
Preface
Villarreal-Garza C, Castro-Sanchez A, Ulloa-Aguirre A
Full text
Language: English
References: 3
Page: 57-58
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Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in young women and is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in this age group. This issue represents a major public health problem in developing countries, where the incidence of BC is rapidly increasing and where young women represent a higher proportion of the total BC patient population compared to developed countries. In Latin America, BC among women aged 40 years or less accounts for up to 11% of new BC cases and 7% of all BC deaths. In Mexico, a very high proportion of the total number of BC patients are diagnosed in their early years, reaching up to 15% in some healthcare institutions.Young women are diagnosed more frequently at advanced stages, have more aggressive pathological features, a greater proportion of triple-negative and HER2-overexpressing tumors, and higher rates of systemic relapse compared to their older counterparts. Hence, the increased proportion of BC cases in young women results in a disproportionate number of life-years lost among this young group. Although BC treatment does not greatly differ with age, optimal management of young women with BC often requires complex interdisciplinary supportive care. Particularly challenging age-related issues associated with early and long-term morbidity that might significantly impair quality of life include: premature ovarian failure provoked by chemotherapy, infertility, body image disturbance, compromised sexual function, impaired cognition, effects on bone mineral density, and the continuous threat of disease recurrence and death.
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